Ships  ptimpsr



hind-ed' tant ALMON HOFF, OF SOUTHPORT, CONNlSCIICU'I.`

Letters PatentNo. 91,045, dated June 8, 1869'.

IMPROVEMENT IN OPERATING SHIPS PUMPS:

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom. it' may concern Be it known that 1, ALMON ROFF, ofSouthport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and improved Automatic Pump- Attachment to Vessels; and Ido hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exactdescription thereowvhich will enable others 'skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents avertical transverse section of a vessel provided with my improvedautomatic pumpattachment.

Figure 2 is a plan or top view, partly in section, of the same. f

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.

'Figure 4 is a detail plan view of the adjusting-lever I of the same.

, to become exhausted, and many vessels were lost because the pumpscould not be properly worked.

My invention consists chiefly in the application to the vessel,.of adetachable paddle-wheel, which will be revolved by the motion of theship through the water, and which will, by suitable connection, operatethe ships pump. The wheel can be readily removed when the pumps are notto beused, and as readily replaced when needed.

The device can be applied to all kinds of vessels, even to those whichare propelled by steam, and will prove a greataid in all cases of dangerfrom fire,

storm, or leakage.

The invention consists also of various details of construction of parts,as hereinafter more fully described.'

A A, in the drawing, are two horizontal crank-axles, which have theirbearings in any suitable part of the vessel, and which have theircranks, a, connected with the piston-rods of two pumps, to operate thesame when revolved.

The two shafts A carry toothed wheels b b, as shown.

B is a sliding shaft, having its bearings in the vessel, between theshafts A A, and carrying a toothed wheel, c, which, when --the shaft Bis moved outward, will be in gear with the wheels b '1).

The shaft B can be projected through an aperture in the side C of thevessel, which aperture is lined with a box, d, so as to form awater-tight packing.

On the outer side of the vessel is secured, so as to surround partly theaperture i'u the side of the ship, a U-shaped plate, D, which has agroov'e on the inner side to receive a flange, e, that is formed 0n thehollow shaft, or shank f, of a p addle-wheel, E.

The shaft B is squared at its outer end, and the shaft f has acorresponding square aperture'.

When the wheel is to be used, it is placed with its ange, e, into thegroove of the plate D, as in figs. l and 2, the plate D being open ontop, to allow the insertion of the wheel from above.

The shaft B is then moved forward to fit into or through the shaft f, ofthe wheel, and to bring its pinion, c, into gear with the toothed wheelsb b.

As the ship moves through the water, the wheel E, whose paddles reachinto the water, will be rotated automatically, and will revolve theshaft B, and thereby also the shafts A A, operating thus the pumps.

The shaft B may also be square where it passes through the box d, inwhich case asleeve, g, is tted into said box around the shaft, as shown,to revolve with said shaft.

When the pumps are not to be worked, the wheel E isremoved, and theshaft B drawn in.

The apertureiu the side O is then enclosed by a spring plug, h, which isa double plate, with rubber or otherpacking between its leaves, andwhich is placed into the groove of the plate D, as is clearly shown ing. 5.

The device for throwing the shaft B in or out may be of suitableconstruction.- I prefer to use the apparatus shown in the drawing. Inthis an arm, i, is suspended from the shaft, B, and connected with aslotted crank, j, of a vertical shaft, F, which has its bearings in thevessel, as shown.

The upper end of the shaft F carries a cross-head, K, which is placedinto' a countersunk box, G, arranged on the deck H, as shown.

The box can be closed, and the cross-head concealed, by means of acover, I.

When the cover is removed the` cross-head can be turned, so as to swingthe shaft F, to either move the shaft B` inward or outward, as may bedesired.

The cross-head can be locked in either position, by means of a pin, l,fitted through it, and through one of two apertures in the bottom of thebox G.

Instead 4oftwopump-shafts, only one, or more than two, may be thrown ingear with the operatingshaft B.

Instead of' being a paddle-wheel, the driving-device may be a screw, tobe arranged at either end'or side of the ship.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An automaticpump-attachment tovessels, consisting of the removable paddle-Wheel, orits equivalent, arranged on the side of the vessel, to operate the pumpor pumps, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The sliding shaft B, -when arranged in a vessel, so that it canreceive a paddle-Wheel, E, or its equivalent, for the purpose ofautomatically operating the pump or pumps, as specified.

3. The grooved U-'shapcd plate D, when arranged at the side of avessehopposite an aperture through the same, substantially as hereinshown and described, for the purpose of supporting the hollow shaft ofthe removable wheel E, or its equivalent, substantially as herein shownand described.

4. The spring-plug h, to be placed into the groove of the U-shaped plateD, for thepurpose of closing the aperture through the side of the ship,substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The vertical shaft F, havingthe crank j and cross-head k, whenarranged in combination with the sliding shaft B, countersnnk box G, andcover I, all arranged and operating substantially as herein shown anddescribed;

6. The sliding shaft B, carrying theiwheel E, or its equivalent, andfitted through the box d, when arranged to operate the pump-shaft orshafts A, substantially as herein shown and described.

. The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 5th day ofMarch, 1869.

ALMON ROFF.

Witnesses:

FRANK BLOCKLEY, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

